Surface-mounted lighting fixtures are mounted to the surface of the ceiling so as to extend below the ceiling plane. Typical surface mounted fixtures include a rectilinear housing formed with a back, side walls, and end walls. The lamps and electrical components are housed in the housing, and the entire fixture is mounted on the ceiling via the back of the housing. Building the housing with an integral back typically requires either welding, mechanical assembly or an inefficient use of sheet steel materials, all of which increase fabrication costs.
Moreover, the housing's boxy internal shape is not ideal for fixture efficiency. More specifically, light emitted from the lamps can get trapped in the housing corners. Thus, not all of the emitted light reaches the intended target below the housing. To improve efficiency, separate, contoured internal surfaces (such as angled reflectors) are coupled to the housing to help direct the light efficiently out of the box and enclose the electrical components such as the wiring and ballast. The need for these additional surfaces increases the material and fabrication costs.
Thus, there exists a need for a surface mounted lighting fixture that performs as efficiently as traditional fixtures but results in fabrication savings.